Bigfork Schools approve drivers ed. fee increase
The Bigfork School Board of trustees approved a fee increase for driver’s education, a new option for high school students to earn credit for extracurricular activities, and discussed the benefits of STAR testing and online classes within the district during their regular meeting on Sept. 19.
Driver’s education class fees will increase by $50 to $275. The driver’s education program didn’t make any money last year according to Bigfork High School principal Matt Porrovecchio and profits from the program fund the purchase of the school’s next vehicle.
Bigfork is currently on a three-year vehicle rotation, but their current vehicle is on its fourth year.
Porrovecchio also said this fee increase still leaves Bigfork at a lower price than Kalispell’s program, which currently costs $275 and is considering going up to $300.
He said the program is offered three times a year with an average of 15 students in each offering.
“I think $275 per student is going to be a struggle, we might have to move from a three-year rotation to four or five,” district clerk Eda Taylor said. “I know in the last year we have used the driver’s ed. vehicle for staff going places, which is financially beneficial to us.”
In addition to approving the price increase, the board also approved the purchase of a new vehicle depending on the mileage.
The board also approved a BHS health and fine art credit substitution program that Porrovecchio and BHS guidance counselor Christina Nadeau presented to the board. This will allow students to obtain credits for extra curricular activities such as basketball and other team sports and even activities outside of school such as dance programs and working with the Bigfork Playhouse Children’s Theatre.
Porrovecchio said Thompson Falls is looking into offering the same program and that it’s not uncommon. Under this program, students would have their coach or supervisor sign a participation rubric sheet to determine his or her performance for a pass-fail grade that doesn’t affect their grade point average.
Nadeau said the students would still have to take a fine arts class and physical education class at the school under the new program.
Porrovecchio also gave the board an update on the high school’s online classes through the Virtual High School and Montana Digital Academy programs. There are currently 11 fulltime digital students pursing their diplomas through the program, and 20 of Bigfork’s online students do not live in the area, seven are in Kalispell and the rest are spread throughout the state.
VHS and MTDA offer class opportunities for Bigfork students that they otherwise would be unable to take, such as Latin or video game design. It also allows transient or ill students to keep up on classes and seamlessly transition back into the classroom at a later date.
Overall, the program brings in $72,055 to the district.
“We’re receiving money for those students that we otherwise wouldn’t” Neadeau said.
In addition to online enrollment, the district’s overall enrollment is up as well. According to Taylor, BES is up by 13 students and BHS is up by 17.
“To see that enrollment increase on the first day and then still have it there, to me, it is exciting because in means dollars,” Taylor said.
BES principal Matt Jensen and vice-principal Brenda Clarke reviewed the school’s participation in the Standardized Testing and Reporting program, more commonly known as STAR. Clarke said the program allows the school to test students at the end of the summer to find out what skills they need to focus on and how students have individually and collectively scored in multiple areas.
“It’s a great communication piece for parents, I just love it,” Clarke said.
Previously, the school’s testing programs required a couple of days for results, but STAR allows for instant results. This means teachers can immediately begin tailoring their lesson plans to target weak areas.
“Our goal is to get the most appropriate instruction they need,” Jensen said.
The tests are relatively short, approximately 20 minutes in length depending on grade level. This allows the school to monitor progress every couple of weeks for students originally identified as struggling with a certain subject or skill.
According to Superintendent Cynthia Clary, STAR testing isn’t the only change in store for the district. Online testing is anticipated to begin in the 2013-14 school year with a required ratio of no more than three students to each computer.
“There has been a theme lately, called ‘ask Bigfork,” there’s lots of conversation about technology and they always say to ask Bigfork,” Clary said. “We are so far ahead that it is crazy.”
In other Bigfork school district news:
• Mr. Bodenhamer’s GIS classes received a $3,236 Montana Great Classroom Award from the Plum Creek Foundation and a $1,287.84 donation from the Flathead Conservation District.